His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, opened international maritime consultancy Brookes Bell’s new Liverpool office on Thursday 24^th September 2026.

Accompanied by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside, Peter Oliver OBE, the High Sheriff of Merseyside Hazel Snell DL, and Cllr William Shorthall, Lord Mayor of Liverpool, His Royal Highness unveiled a plaque at No 10. Princes Dock, Princes Parade, Liverpool, commemorating the event.

During the visit, The Duke met a selection of Brookes Bell’s specialists, including the consulting firm’s Master Mariners, Scientists, Engineers, Materials Testing and Non-Destructive Testing experts, and their support teams.

Brookes Bell’s experts discussed their work including the handling of maritime casualties, providing expert witness testimony, assisting with cargo claims and disputes, and failure and forensic investigations.

Commenting on His Royal Highness’ visit, Brookes Bell’s Chief Operating Officer, Anthony York, said:

“It was a tremendous honour to welcome His Royal Highness to Liverpool to mark this important occasion in Brookes Bell’s long history. 

Liverpool has been our home for more than 120 years, and as we open our new office at Liverpool Waters, it is exciting to consider the next stage in Brookes Bell’s journey as we continue to support the global maritime industry with technical and scientific consultancy support”.

Adrian Scales, Director of Europe and Master Mariner at Brookes Bell, said:

“It was a privilege to share our story with His Royal Highness. It was a proud moment for everyone here. We have been part of Liverpool’s maritime community since 1903, and opening this office is a clear statement of our commitment to the city.

His Royal Highness took a genuine interest in our people and their work, from our Master Mariners to our engineers and scientists. Their expertise supports the maritime industry around the world, and it meant a great deal to be able to share it with him”.

Andrew Yarwood, Business Director at Brookes Bell, added: “The location of our new office places us right at the heart of the Mersey maritime community, so it was especially appropriate that His Royal Highness visited as part of his wider tour of the region. I was pleased that he was able to meet our specialists, hear about their work and see first-hand the depth of maritime expertise we have within the business.”

The Duke of Edinburgh’s visit to Brookes Bell formed part of two days of engagements visiting maritime establishments across Merseyside.